News


2008

July

  • Oregon and California pinot noirs are very different The Stateman Journal
    But California cool, is not Oregon cool. How different are they? Let's explore, comparing two giants of their respective states
  • Pinot Noir craze over KVAL
    Oregon's wine industry is headed for a fall, according prominent Oregon wine maker Bill Hatcher. Too much Pinot noir and too few wine distributors may be to blame, he says
  • The Chronicle Wine Selections: North Central Coast Pinot Noir The San Francisco Chronicle
    Pinot Noir is happiest when grown in cool climes. The northern portion of California's huge Central Coast appellation has regions with cooling ocean winds, which can drop hot daytime temperatures 30 degrees in some locations.
  • Tasting Wine: Certain Red wines are perfect for summer The Examiner
    Pinot noir is the grape that first comes to mind when people are looking for a light red wine. Beaujolais, which is made from gamay, is another.
  • Aging Gracefully The New Zealand Herald
    In this age of instant gratification, most wines are polished off within 24 hours of purchase. Few of us now take the time to cellar our wines, but those with the restraint to squirrel away some well-chosen bottles can reap rich rewards in following a wine down a fascinating path from youthful exuberance to mellow old age.

  • Route of the Golden Vine ñ a Chardonnay journey of discovery South African Wine News
    Meredith determined that the finicky and pedantic Pinot grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris) all have the same DNA. It is thought that the cross-pollination of the two varieties resulted in the first Chardonnay vine in Burgundy, which has been determined as the birthplace of this variety.
  • Take It to Go ñ Perfect Wines for a Picnic The Capital Times
    First, the bottle shouldn't cost more than $20. Nobody wants to take a prized Bourgogne to a potluck, just like you wouldn't spring for a Silver Oak Cabernet for a sweltering Concert on the Square. Second, the wine should be well-balanced. Good acidity is a must for a picnic wine; indeed, it's key for any beverage you're pairing with food. Third, the wine must adapt well to a little chill, which generally means white, rose and some reds. Stick a fat, fruity Zinfandel in your cooler to make it more refreshing and most of the time all you'll taste is the alcohol and oak. Do the same with a light Pinot Noir and the wine may reveal delicious layers of fruit and spice.
  • Rheinhessen region information requested The Journal Inquirer
    Some light red wine from Spatburgunder (Pinot Noir) or Portuguieser is made in Rheinhessen, but most of it is consumed locally.
  • Sip and Sup amid the Magic of Marlborough The Australian
    The wineries transmute their grapes into the sauvignon blanc that has seduced the world, chardonnay, pinot gris and pinot noir, methode traditionnelle sparklers and, increasingly, aromatics such as riesling and gewurztraminer, so there's plenty of opportunity to taste the terroir. But there's more, and in particular the good food that goes hand in glove with committed wineregions.

    • June

  • Organic wines come of age | Great choices, confusing labels Seattle Times
    Increasingly, winegrowers in Oregon are moving toward "biodynamic" agriculture, which manages farms as self-sufficient, healthy ecosystems and includes performing farming practices according to sun, moon and planetary cycles. Some see it as ¸ber-organic, others as woo-woo. All 100-plus acres of vineyards at A to Z Wineworks, Oregon's largest winemaker, will be certified biodynamic by 2010, says Nadine Lew, viticulturist and vineyard liaison.
  • Drink to this: The 22nd Annual International Pinot Noir Celebration
    This year step it up a notch with the International Pinot Noir Celebration (July 25-27), hailed by The Wine Advocate as "unquestionably the finest in the world," is a must attend event.

    • May

  • Overlooked pepper compound gives red wine its spice Royal Society of Chemistry
    Australian chemists have identified the compound responsible for the peppery aroma of the country's iconic Shiraz wines - and discovered the same molecule is by far the strongest aroma in peppercorns themselves.
  • US Getting Tougher for Imports Wine&Spirits Daily
    In April 2008, Pinot Noir and Riesling are still the two fastest growing varietals. In dollar sales, Pinot Noir grew 18% in 2008 and Riesling grew 18.4%. By volume, Pinot Noir increased 21.2% and Riesling rose 16%. The only difference between 2007 and 2008 is the rate of growth.
  • Fire up the grill: Wines for WeinersCheap, Fun Wines.com
    If your tastes lean more toward spicy sausage and peppers, you could also try a light to medium bodied California or Northwest pinot noir.
  • Pinot noirs have body to be paired with spicy foods The Statesman Journal
    There is enough acidity in these wines to take on fried dishes; the wine's acidity helps cleanse the palate of the oil and rich fried breading of the dish. Pork tonkatsu ó a Japanese-style breaded, fried pork cutlet ó fills this culinary niche nicely.
  • Glass Mulch reflected in the grapes Stuff.co.nz
    Two years into a four-year trial, about 35 tonnes of crushed glass has been laid at the base of pinot noir grape vines at Sandihurst winery in West Melton, near Christchurch.

    • April

  • Time to get hot on temperature control The Financial Times
    It is true that the results of inserting the smart card into 1,200 trial cases shipped from Bordeaux all over the world over the past six months are explosive. The temperature graphs suggest that even wines shipped from Bordeaux's nÈgociants (merchant middlemen) in reefers can experience extremes of heat and cold at some point on their journey, typically at the beginning or end.
  • California Pinot's vivd personality Contra-Costa Times
    It started in 1990. That was the year California Pinot Noir turned the corner. The grapes had migrated out of too-warm vineyards in the Napa Valley and elsewhere and had lodged themselves in cooler climes such as Carneros and the Russian River Valley. They had not yet claimed much of a foothold in the Santa Lucia Mountains or the Anderson Valley, and the push for Pinot was not much than a few years old up in Oregon.
  • UNCORKED: Belles of the ball The Herald News
    Out of the 325 wineries in Oregon, the Willamette Valley is home to 200 of those wineries. Although many varietals are grown in the Willamette Valley, it is recognized as one of the best areas in the world for growing Pinot Noir. The long, cool growing season consists of warm summer days, cool evenings and usually an Indian summer that can give the extra amount of warm days that it takes to ripen the finicky Pinot Noir grape without over ripening.
  • Our list of decent red wines for $15 or less The San Jose Mercury News
    Pinot noir lovers, I'm sad to report that I don't have anything for you here. The grapes are in big demand these days, and prices have been creeping up. None of the inexpensive pinots I've tasted in the past few months have been worth recommending.

  • Climate boost for [Tasmanian] wines The Mercury
    "Tasmania should be able to hang on to its top reputation for pinot noir, sauvignon blanc and sparkling longer than most Australian regions," he said.
  • Pinot Noir is hot, but buyer beware KeepMEcurrent.com
    Thanks in large part to the movie, ìSideways,î in 2004, U.S. demand for Pinot Noir is still outpacing supply. People in the wine business are still stymied by this phenomenon.

  • Wines of the Times: The Taste of Cool in a Pinot Noir The New York Times
    I have to confess, I donít drink much California pinot noir. The prevailing thick, fruit-and-oak-drenched style, often with a touch of sweetness, does not appeal to me. I find that these wines are clumsy at the table, overwhelming and fatiguing. In short, many of the leading California pinot noirs today seem to me to be the antithesis of what pinot noirs ought to be: light, elegant, graceful and refreshing.
  • Merlot is Soft and Smooth Times&Transcript
    just came back from a trip visiting wineries and I was amazed that the movie Sideways was still affecting the wine industry.
  • Stem-free harvest on show The Press
    The new French-made Pellenc harvester, with a selective harvest head, is the first of its kind in the world to be used commercially and it is being demonstrated in New Zealand vineyards. Ö The new harvesting improvement is particularly significant for red grapes, such as pinot noir, which are usually hand-picked ñ an expensive exercise.
  • I pawned my $8,000 pinot noir The Globe and Mail
    Pawnshops in Paris are branching out. In addition to the usual jewellery and family heirlooms, the CrÈdit Municipal de Paris, as reported by Decanter.com, has started offering loans against wine.
  • Tips: More Pinot Picks The Washington Post
    If they prefer [fruitier] California and Oregon pinot noirs and wanted to try something new, I might pour them a pinot noir from New Zealand instead," he told us.

    • March



    2007